1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network terminal capable of notifying an administrator terminal about information on network terminals, such as printers connected to a network, by email.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printers can be connected to a network and shared by several people on a network. Some network printers are able to notify the network administrator about problems such as a sheet size error or when the printer runs out of toner by sending information about the problem to the administrator in an email message.
FIG. 15 is a schematic view representing an example of problem information to be sent to a network administrator by email. As shown in FIG. 15, conventional problem information includes status information 24 and node information 25. The status information 24 indicates a summary of the printer condition. The node information 25 indicates the name, type, and location of the printer. The email message that notified the network administrator of the problem information will be referred to as the “notifying message”, hereinafter. The notifying message is automatically sent to the email address of the network administrator when a problem is generated at the printer. When the network administrator receives the notifying message, then he or she goes over to the printer indicated in the notifying message and solves the problem while referring to the notifying message.
However, if the network administrator must go to the printer in order to solve problems, then it is very difficult for the network administrator to solve printer problems rapidly when the network extends over a large area and the problem printer is not at a location near the network administrator.
Some networks include a printer server provided with a printer management tool that is capable of monitoring and manipulating the printer. The network administrator inputs a commanded to the printer management tool from the printer server, or from a terminal that has accessed to the printer server, to manipulate the printer and overcome problems in the printer. However, the network administrator must remember all the appropriate commands for manipulating the printer using the printer management tool. This makes the printer management tool troublesome and complex to use.
Some printers are provided with a management page of a web-page format that can be accessed by specifying the address of the management web page. In this case, the network administrator accesses the web server in the printer from a terminal connected to the network and solves problems with the printer through the management web page. However, if the network administrator does not know or forgets the address of the management web page, then it will take time for the network administrator to access the management web page, resulting in a delay in solving the printer problem.